Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chaozhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chaozhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $628 in Chaozhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,012 in Chaozhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,397 in Chaozhou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 62% more expensive than Chaozhou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Chaozhou 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$2.13 ¥14.43

179.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$22.60 ¥153

47.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$3.42 ¥23.10

111.40%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.37 ¥9.25

18.98%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.51 ¥3.44

113.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.29 ¥1.97

151.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.13 ¥7.62

53.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.74 ¥18.50

17.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.88 ¥12.68

-44.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.42 ¥9.58

-9.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.73 ¥4.97

80.82%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.02 ¥6.91

122.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$8.79 ¥59.5

-50.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$2.35 ¥15.86

150.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$11.28 ¥76.3

-23.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.06 ¥13.94

9.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$0.81 ¥5.49

32.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$0.82 ¥5.53

85.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.66 ¥11.21

-14.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.53 ¥3.60

120.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.43 ¥2.91

172.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.41 ¥2.74

117.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.27 ¥1.81

233.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.75 ¥18.59

-18.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$11.23 ¥75.9

-1.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$0.73 ¥4.95

56.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.10 ¥7.44

116.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.27 ¥1.82

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$16.96 ¥115

147.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.92 ¥6.22

53.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.26 ¥1.73

630.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$6.71 ¥45.36

15.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.14 ¥7.70

-11.40%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$16.6K ¥112.2K

5.94%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$17.5K ¥118.2K

51.52%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$38.20 ¥258

119.06%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$3.98 ¥26.89

137.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$11.65 ¥78.8

106.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$41.35 ¥280

-38.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$13.99 ¥94.6

36.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$6.00 ¥40.58

-31.67%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$312 COP 1.1M

$460 ¥3,108

-32.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$16.7K ¥113.0K

-64.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$12.44 ¥84.1

366.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$25.77 ¥174

26.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$84.9 ¥574

17.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$55.6 ¥376

95.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$275 ¥1,859

75.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$185 ¥1,253

104.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$587 ¥3,970

42.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$364 ¥2,459

98.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$3,115 ¥21.1K

-8.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,751 ¥11.8K

-30.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$490 ¥3,312

10.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.56

277.25%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Chaozhou: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $275 in Chaozhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $23.00 in Chaozhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $174 per month, with Chaozhou cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Chaozhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Chaozhou differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $628 including rent). Chaozhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 10% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Medellin versus $275 in Chaozhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $460 in Chaozhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $628 in Chaozhou versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chaozhou but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chaozhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Chaozhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.